As we approach the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, each day we will be adding brief biographies and pictures in honor of the 343 Fire Department of the City of New York firemen that gave their lives 18 years ago. “Everyone here will tell you he’s not a hero,” one FDNY survivor said, “everyone here will tell you he’s doing his job.” These men went into a burning building that many understood they would not be walking back out of, but they still went in and did their job.

They gave their lives so that 30,000 people could be saved.

Tarel Coleman, 32
Squad 252, Brooklyn
Joined FDNY in 1993... Played defensive back for department's football team... Brother John Jr. also served on FDNY... Memorialized on Panel S-23 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Robert W. Spear Jr., 30,
Engine 50, Bronx
Served as a forward observer in the 82d Airborne before joining FDNY... Joined the department in 2000... Buried at St. Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale, N.Y.

Ronnie E. Gies 43, New York City
Squad 288, Queens
Served on Engine 14 and Engine 308 before selection for Special Operations Command... Joined FDNY in 1988... Promoted to lieutenant the day before the 9/11 attacks... His three sons followed in his footsteps by joining FDNY... Remains located in December 2001... Buried at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, N.Y.

Capt. Thomas T. Haskell, Jr., 37
Division 15, Brooklyn
Joined FDNY during his senior year of college... Played football for St. John's University, then for the FDNY team - later becoming coach... Brother Timmy also killed on 9/11... Served as captain on Ladder 132, posthumously promoted to battalion chief... Memorialized on Panel S-22 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Michael J. Lyons 32
Squad 41, Bronx
Spent five years with Engine 44 before joining Squad 41 in 2000... One of six members of Squad 41 killed in the collapse of the South Tower... Memorialized on Panel S-13 of the National September 11 Memorial.

R. Bruce Van Hine 48
Squad 41, Bronx
Served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War... One of six members of Squad 41 killed in the collapse of the South Tower... Interred at Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, N.Y.

Patrick J. O'Keefe 44, Lynbrook, N.Y.
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Graduated at the top of his Fire Academy class in 1981 and assigned to Ladder 35... One of 11 Rescue 1 firemen killed when the North Tower collapsed... Buried at Queen of All Saints Cemetery in Islip, N.Y.

Kenneth J. Marino 40, Oceanside, N.Y.
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1990... One of 11 Rescue 1 firemen killed when the North Tower collapsed... Memorialized on Panel S-9 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Joseph Angelini, Sr. 63, New York City
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Oldest and longest serving fireman at the time of his death... Son Joseph Jr. (Ladder 4) also lost his life on 9/11... One of 11 Rescue 1 firemen killed when the North Tower collapsed... Buried at St. Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale, N.Y.

Chief Richard A. Prunty 57, New York City
Battalion 2, Manhattan
Served on the De-militarized Zone in Korea as a computer programmer for the Army before joining FDNY in 1968... Buried at the Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton, N.Y.

Manuel Mojica 37
Squad 18, Manhattan
The son of an NYPD officer, Manny was one of 17 FDNY Marine Corps veterans killed on 9/11... Buried at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, N.Y.

Calixto C. Anaya, Jr. 35, New York City
Engine 4, Manhattan
Served in the Marine Corps from 1984-1988, then re-enlisted for the Persian Gulf War... Posthumously awarded his diploma from the Fire Academy in November 2001... Sgt. "Charlie" Calixto is buried at Frederick Loescher Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Gerard T. Nevins 46
Rescue 1, Manhattan
18-year FDNY veteran... Served with Ladder 34 and Engine 84 before joining Rescue 1 in 1995... Named Fireman of the Year in 2001... Memorialized on Panel S-8 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Ricardo J. Quinn 40, New York City
Paramedic, Battalion 57
Posthumously promoted to lieutenant... Served in the Coast Guard before joining the fire department... Was off-duty when the attack happened, but showed up to help anyways... Last seen running into South Tower to treat wounded... His wife boarded a Coast Guard vessel to spread Quinn's ashes at sea... Memorialized on Panel S-18 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Lt. Patrick J. Lyons 34, New York City
Squad 252, Brooklyn
Joined FDNY in 1990... Played quarterback for department's football team... Son of a retired FDNY lieutenant... Memorialized on Panel S-23 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Eric T. Allen 44, New York City
Squad 18, Manhattan
Squad 18 was one of the first crews at the World Trade Center on 9/11... One of seven Squad 18 firemen killed... Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Michael J. Cawley 32, New York City
Ladder 136, Queens
Joined FDNY in 1995... Also served on Engines 35 and 286... Had just finished his shift on the morning of the 11th but rode to the World Trade Center with Rescue 4 when the call came in... Buried at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing, N.Y.

Robert W. Hamilton 43, New York City
Squad 41, Bronx
Son of a FDNY fireman, Robert spent his entire career at House 41... Buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Washingtonville, N.Y.

Capt. Patrick J. Brown 48
Ladder 3, Manhattan
Joined the Marine Corps at 17 and served two tours in Vietnam... Became one of the most famous and highest decorated members of FDNY over his 23-year career... Memorialized on Panel S-8 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Brian E. Sweeney 29
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1995... Prior to selection for Rescue 1, served with Engine 263, Ladder 8, Engine 214, and Squad 288... Memorialized on Panel S-9 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Nicholas P. Rossomando, 35
Rescue 5, Staten Island
Joined FDNY in 1996, serving with Engine 228 and Ladder 113 before transferring to Rescue 5... Had finished his tour that morning and responded with the crew once the Towers were hit... Memorialized on Panel S-5 of the National September 11 Memorial.

William L. Henry, Jr. 49, New York City
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Spent two decades on FDNY, serving on Ladder 24 before joining Rescue 1... One of 11 Rescue 1 firemen killed when the North Tower collapsed... Interred: Maple Grove Cemetery in Queens.

Capt. Terence S. Hatton 41, New York City
Rescue 1, Manhattan
The highly decorated "Captain Man-Hatton" was one of 11 members of Rescue 1 killed when the North Tower Collapsed... As a FEMA task force leader deployed to Oklahoma City bombing and the crash of TWA Flight 800... Laid to rest at St. Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale, N.Y... A section of E. 43rd St. is named in Hatton's honor.

Timothy S. Haskell, 34
Squad 18, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1993... Was off-duty on 9/11 but came in to help... Brother Thomas also killed on 9/11... Buried at Breslau Cemetery in North Lindenhurst, N.Y.

Lt. Ronald T. Kerwin 42, New York City
Squad 288, Queens
20-year FDNY veteran served on Engine 275, Ladder 126, and as a fire marshal before joining Special Operations Command... Memorialized on Panel S-8 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Daniel T. "Danny" Suhr 37, New York City
Engine 216, Brooklyn
"Captain America" was a 16-year FDNY veteran... Was captain and middle linebacker for the FDNY football team... Also played semi-pro football with the Brooklyn Mariners... Among the first companies to arrive at the World Trade Center and was the first fireman killed when he was hit by a jumper... Buried at Saint Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale, N.Y.

Michael G. Montesi 39, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1988, serving on Ladder 10... Was Daily News Hero of the Month in August 1999 for risking his life to rescue a victim from the Hudson River... Buried at St. Anthony's Church Cemetery in Nanuet, N.Y.

Lt. Michael K. Healey 42, New York City
18-year veteran of FDNY... One of six members of Squad 41 killed on 9/11... Memorialized on Panel S-12 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Johnathan Lee Ielpi 29, New York City
Squad 288, Queens
Son of Lee A. Ielpi, who became one of FDNY's most-decorated firemen after returning from combat in Vietnam in 1970... Brother Brandon is also FDNY... Body recovered on 11 December 2001 and buried at All Saints Cemetery in Great Neck, N.Y.

Thomas P. Cullen, III 31, New York City
Squad 41, Bronx
Joined FDNY in 1996, serving on Engine 290 and Ladder 83 before joining Squad 41... One of six members of Squad 41 killed in the collapse of the South Tower... Memorialized on Panel S-13 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Adam D. Rand 30, Bellmore, N.Y.
Squad 288, Queens
Joined FDNY in 1995... One of six Squad 288 members to die when the South Tower collapsed... Memorialized on Panel S-8 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Allan Tarasiewicz, 44
Rescue 5, Staten Island
Served in the Marine Corps before his 11-year career with FDNY... Worked on Engine 154 and Ladder 169 before joining Rescue 5... Was supposed to leave for a vacation on Sept. 11 but was called in for mandatory overtime that day... Buried at Cemetery of the Resurrection in Staten Island.

Kevin M. Prior 28
Squad 252, Brooklyn
Six-year FDNY veteran... One of five Squad 252 members killed when the North Tower collapsed... Body found three weeks later and buried at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, N.Y.

Lt. Charles J. Margiotta 44, New York City
Battalion 22, Staten Island
20-year FDNY veteran... Also worked as a Hollywood stuntman... Played running back for the FDNY football team... Former star at Brown University was posthumously inducted into the university's Hall of Fame... Was off-duty when the Towers were hit and joined the rescue efforts... Memorialized on Panel S-16 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Joseph G. Hunter 31, New York City
Squad 288, Queens
One of six Squad 288 members killed when the South Tower collapsed... Memorialized on Panel S-8 at the National September 11 Memorial.

David M. Weiss 41, Freeport, N.Y.
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1989... Firefighter Quarterly's Man of the Year in 1993... Decorated for diving into the East River (while off-duty) to rescue a man from his sinking car... Buried at Mount Ararat Cemetery in East Farmingdale, N.Y.

Ronald P. Bucca 47, New York City
Fire Marshal
CLICK IMAGE for The Flying Fireman's biography

Lawrence J. Virgilio 38, New York City
Squad 18, Manhattan
A licensed physical therapist, Lawrence ran the New York City Marathon twice... One of seven Squad 18 firemen killed on 9/11... Buried at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, N.Y.

Carlos R. Lillo 37, Puerto Rico
Paramedic, Battalion 49
16-year FDNY veteran... Wife, who worked on 64th floor of North Tower, survived the attack... Memorialized on Panel S-11 at the National September 11 Memorial.

William M. Feehan 71, New York City
FDNY Commissioner
42-year FDNY veteran and held almost every rank within the FDNY... Served as first deputy fire commissioner since 1992... Served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War... Feehan was the son of an FDNY fireman, and his son is third-generation FDNY... Was the oldest fireman killed in the attack (joined department in 1959)... Buried at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Lt. Dennis Mojica 50, New York City
Rescue 1, Manhattan
Spent 29 years at FDNY after six years in the U.S. Navy... One of 11 Rescue 1 firemen killed when the North Tower collapsed... His body was found five days later and is laid to rest at Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Lt. William E. McGinn 43, New York City
Squad 18, Manhattan
Appointed in 1984... Served with Ladder 11 and Engine 56... Part of Squad 1 crew during the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center... Joined Squad 18 in 1998... Uncle Kevin was retired FDNY lieutenant... Buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Staten Island.

Timothy M. Welty 34, New York City
Squad 288, Queens
Eight-year FDNY veteran... Served on Engine 233 before becoming one of the original Squad 288 firemen in 1998... Memorialized on Panel S-7 at the National September 11 Memorial.

David Halderman, Jr. 40, New York City
Squad 18, Manhattan
Joined FDNY in 1992, transferring to Squad 18 in 1999... Father, David Sr., was on Squad 18 (after serving in the Navy during World War II and Korea) and a retired lieutenant... Brother Michael was a deputy chief... Buried in Queen of All Saints Cemetery in Central Islip, N.Y.

John D. Marshall, 35
Ladder 27, Bronx
Son of an NYPD officer... Joined FDNY in 1999... Memorialized on Panel S-15 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Peter A. Bielfeld, 44, Munich, West Germany
Ladder 42, Bronx
Spent his entire 19-year career with Ladder 42... Decorated twice for valor... Was on medical leave when the Towers were hit, but grabbed his gear and responded... Buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, N.Y.

Thomas J. Kuveikis 48, New York City
Squad 252, Brooklyn
24-year FDNY veteran, serving with Squad 252 for five years... Brother Tim is also FDNY... Memorialized on Panel S-22 of the National September 11 Memorial.

Gerard A. Barbara 53, New York City
Assistant Chief, Citywide Tour Commander
Served as an electrician aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) from 1968-1970... The 31-year veteran began his career with Engine Company 91-2 in Harlem... Memorialized on Panel S-18 at the National September 11 Memorial.

Watch the slideshow, or click below for a list of all 343 sorted by company with links to each fireman’s bio.

Please be patient as this tribute is under development and will be complete by 11 September 2020.

Editor’s note: if you would like to assist by providing additional images or information, please contact us either in the comments or the contact page which can be found in the navigation menu at the top of the page.

Verse of the Day

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Athletes who Served

Joe Bellino earned the Heisman Trophy in 1960 for the Naval Academy then began his active service commitment. Participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis and served three tours in Vietnam before playing for the Washington Redskins and the AFL’s Boston Patriots.